Fate of the Empires

The Rogues’ Wood. Elric, spoke very little of it, mentioning not much more than it is no place to linger in. I’m still not sure what to make of this human. He rides with great skill and has the stature of a commanding leader. Younger than most of his men, he must be a great warrior to have their respect. His appearance is well groomed, yet he has the uncontrolled look in his eyes that I’ve seen only in the wild glare of jungle beasts. While this man projects a sense of honor, I smell corruption all over him. It will be an interesting day if our blades ever cross.

We hastily follow the Cove guardsmen through the woods that enclose the notorious city. I am reminded of my village, Tir’ren. The forest of Ollehll wraps around my village in much the way this forest surrounds the western side of Cove. Ollehll provides food and defense from the outside for my village. I would still be there today if things had gone differently.

As dysfunctional as I often find human society, my own is not without flaw. The same injustices that plague the people of Athusia are also present in Orrock. Unfortunately, in my lands one is not tried, only convicted and condemned. In my case I was exiled.

Banishment. The ultimate disgrace. To be exiled means that death was too decent a punishment for your crime. It means no one will speak your name or acknowledge that you even existed. You will be forgotten. I will be forgotten. To die a cowards death means you will be remembered as a coward for all time, but at least you will be remembered…

There is a break in the woods. I can see the high walls of Cove beyond a short clearing. I can’t shake the feeling that there is more danger ahead of us than there was in the forest behind us. The steel gates begin to open when the tower guards see Elric and his men approaching. Archers atop the city walls keep a close eye on Jun, Leaia, Magnus, and I as we follow Elric through the gates.

Cove is unlike any human city I have been in. It is very different from the rest of Athusia’s cities. Enormous gothic towers reach towards the skies on every corner. The streets are all paved with stone and intricately carved gargoyles line the tops of every building. Dark clouds hang over the city like a protective covering from the sun. The scent of the sea is strong on the winds that blow through the many shadowed alleyways. This is the perfect place for the kind of business that is conducted here.

Jun looks most at home in this element as we make our way through the barren streets. I wonder if he has ever been here before under some other form of guile. Though recent events have shaken my trust in him, he is still in charge of this mission and I will follow him.

I can tell Leaia is not pleased to be here. She is the most incredible human I have ever met. Ferocious as a lion in battle and as intelligent as the gods. She is strong, yet delicate. Powerful yet graceful. And even though she is a force to be reckoned with she has both control and honor. She is just and this place represents the bane of everything she stands for.

Magnus is the hardest to read. He seems fascinated by the underworld atmosphere. I once thought him a fool, but now I feel I may have underestimated him. He’s definitely no warrior, but he has proved himself in battle. His magic makes him a useful member of the party even if his defiant attitude does not.

Cove is a quiet city. Usually the day brings life to the streets from the hustle and bustle of normal human activities. This is not present here. Only a few citizens walk the paved roads and they remain silent as they move. We catch a few glances, but the humans here keep their heads down as though they are afraid of something. These people are broken. Is this Shadow Guild really so dangerous?

“Where is everyone, Elric?” Jun asks the question I was thinking, “I thought Cove had a very large population.”

“We do,” Elric answers, “They are just more active under the cover of night.”

“My kind of city!” Magnus exclaims.

“Where are you leading us?” Leaia asks.

“To an inn to get you settled in and then to meet my employer,” Elric replies without looking back.

We make our way down a few more streets before stopping at an enormous stone building. It is at least four stories high with an ominous tower on each corner. We leave our mounts in the stable area across the road. The large sign over the double-doorway has a spider carved into it that is painted black.

“Welcome to the Black Widow Inn,” Elric says as he leads us inside.

The interior is no better than the exterior. It’s dark and cold. There are lit candles everywhere. More than I care to count. The atmosphere is what humans might call “creepy.” A slender figure emerges from the darkness. It is a woman. Her long hair is as dark as a raven’s feathers and hangs down to the middle of her back. She could stand to be in the sun a while as her skin is deathly pale. Her silky dress is the deep color of freshly drawn blood. Her dark eyes seem to pierce right into my soul, but I do not look away. It almost seems like she is floating as she approaches us. “Welcome to my inn,” she extends her hand to Jun, “I am Alarra Blackmoon.”

“A pleasure,” Jun kisses Alarra’s hand.

“Your arrangements have already been taken care of,” Alarra motions for Jun to follow her, “If you’ll just come with me to get your room keys.”

Jun follows her into the darkness. Fortunately my eyes adjust quickly and I am able to see our surroundings. I am not surprised, but the halls of this inn are mostly barren. A few banners with the Cove crest hang from the vaulted ceilings. This does not look like any inn I’ve ever seen. I cannot contain my curiosity any more. “This is an inn?” I ask Elric.

“Yes, it is,” Elric laughs, “I can see where you might be confused though. It was actually converted from a temple.”

“A temple?” Leaia takes interest.

“Yes.”

“For which god?” Leaia asks.

“No, not that kind of temple. You see before Cove was taken over by Athusians it was built by another civilization. These people were…evil. While their towers and statues are works of art, their uses for these buildings were…unnatural.”

“What do you mean?” Magnus now takes interest.

“They believed that human sacrifices and drinking blood would bring them great power. Raiding parties would kidnap women and children from surrounding villages for their dark ceremonies. It wasn’t until the Athusian Empire expanded east that those deranged practices were stopped.”

“What happened?” Leaia looks horrified as she asks.

“Lord Edwin Darkwynde had his armies cleanse the city.”

“He wiped out the entire civilization?” Magnus asks.

“That we know of.”

“Impressive,” Magnus nods, “And here I thought the Darkwynde lineage always used the non-violent approach to solving their country’s problems.”

That seems to be the humans’ way. If they do not understand something they destroy it. Given, if the tale is true, their course of action was justified in this instance. I don’t care who you are, taking the women and children of another should result in death. If I could again have the chance to get revenge for my family I would do it without question!

“Why is that story not known about Cove?” Leaia questions.

“If your home had such a twisted past would you want the entire nation knowing about it?” Elric replies.

“I suppose not,” Leaia seems embarrassed that she asked the question at all.

“And what of Alarra,” Magnus interjects, “What’s her story?”

“I am a sorceress that has had trouble keeping my husbands alive,” Alarra steps out of the darkness with Jun, “Hence the name of the inn.”

“My kind of woman,” Magnus smiles at Alarra.

Alarra smiles back at Magnus while the rest of us share a very awkward moment. “Let’s put our things in our rooms and get back to business,” Jun steps between the mage and the sorceress.

“Good idea,” Elric says.

Why are humans always attracted to the things that are not good for their health? This woman names her inn after a spider that kills its mate after procreating and Magnus can’t help but flirt with her. Does he not see the signs? I guess humans are simply blinded by lust. You’ll never catch an Orrock making that kind of mistake.

Within the hour the others have placed any unimportant belongings in their inn rooms and we are back on the road, this time on foot. From the smell of the salt in the air I can tell we are getting closer to Cove port. The farther from the inner city we go the less we find the gothic structures and towers. Cove becomes more business oriented near the port. Warehouses begin to increasingly spring up until they are on all sides of you. One can only wonder what is stored within some of these buildings.

I am not a paranoid individual by any means, but ever since we left the inn I’ve had the feeling as though we’re being watched. I keep my hand near my blade in case we are being led into a trap. I am not the only one who appears uneasy and I think Elric senses that. “As you are all aware Cove’s primary source of income is from importing and exporting with other countries. We pride ourselves in trading very hard to find goods such as spices, clothing, weapons, jewels, and precious metals. All of these storage houses are filled with the fruits of our labor. Perhaps when your business is concluded with my employer you’d like to take a tour.”

“Perhaps,” Jun responds, “Elric, when do we get to know who your employer is?”

“Sooner than you think,” Elric grins.

Elric leads us to the docks, which are the most well kept I have ever seen. A number of merchant ships are tied off, yet there are no sailors around. There’s no merchants, no dockworkers, no shipwrights, no one. What is with this city? Elric takes us out in the open, beyond the warehouses, but not quite to the ships. “Please wait here,” Elric motions to where we are standing, “My employer will be with you shortly.”

Elric and his men leave us standing on the docks. That uneasy feeling just got worse. “I don’t like this,” I state, “We are too exposed.”

“Don’t worry,” Jun reassures, “If they were going to kill us they would’ve done so outside of town.”

I taste the scent of another in the air. “Someone’s coming,” I say as I look around.

The others join me until we lock onto our visitor. A man approaches from the far side of the docks. He is young with short-spiked brown hair. He has a thin frame and is about the height of the mage. He is in no hurry to get to us, yet he moves with a sense of purpose. There is nothing significant about his attire with the exception of a brown scarf he wears around his neck. He gets very close before he speaks. “I understand you seek passage to Densetsu,” his voice comes out very soft and raspy.

“That’s correct,” Jun answers.

“I can help you with that,” the man looks at all of us.

“How much will it cost?” Jun asks.

“It will cost you nothing. Think of it as a favor, however, I will require a favor in return.”

“What sort of favor?” Leaia questions in a distrustful tone.

“Nothing that your group cannot handle…so long as your reputation holds true.”

“I think we can accommodate you, but we need to discuss some details.” Jun takes control of the conversation.

“In exchange for safe, discreet passage to the island of Densetsu I will need you to retire a member of my organization. This individual has strayed from our ways and the punishment for such betrayal is death. Now, you are probably wondering why we don’t handle this ourselves.”

“The question did come to mind,” Leaia interrupts.

“We wish to avoid any infighting that may occur as a result of an inside assassination. If the death were to occur from a drunken brawl with some outsiders less questions will be asked. Politics, you understand.”

“All too well,” Magnus says in his typical sarcastic way.

“When and where?” Jun asks.

“The ship for Densetsu sails in three days. Enjoy yourselves tonight, but tomorrow evening you need to find yourselves at the Gemini Tavern on the north side of town. Your target is a man named Brock. He will be in late and he will not be hard to find. Make it look natural and more importantly make it look like an accident. Elric will make sure that the law stays out of the way. So long as everything goes to plan you may relax and enjoy the hospitality of Cove for the remainder of your stay here.”

“And if things don’t go to plan?” Magnus asks with a raised brow.

“Just make sure they do. Do we have an understanding?”

“How do we know there’s really a ship?” Jun asks suspiciously.

“The Guild always makes good on its word, so don’t you worry about that.”

“Then we have an agreement,” Jun bows.

The man nods and walks away. He walks back the direction from which he came until he seems to vanish into thin air. The four of us stand in confusion with the exception of Jun who seems very confident with our current situation. “Who was that guy?” Magnus finally breaks the silence.

“An operative of the Shadow Guild,” Jun answers.

“What’s with the scarf?”

“He was once on the end of an assassin’s blade and lived to tell the tale. The scarf covers the scar across his throat from the encounter.”

“How do you know so much about it?”

“Ethan sent the assassin.”

“Was it you?”

“No. He wouldn’t be alive if I had gone.”

“Can we please talk about this back at the inn?” Leaia interjects.

“Yes, let’s go,” Jun answers.

As we make our way back into the city I still feel watchful eyes upon us. I can pick up no scent in the air, but something is happening around us…something dark.

By the time we reach the inn again it is nightfall. We make our way up a dark, stone stairwell to a long hallway. Jun leads the way to his room. I am surprised by the look of the rooms at the inn. I would’ve suspected them to be as cold and unwelcoming as the rest of the place, yet they are quite the opposite. Large rugs with intricately woven patterns cover the wooden floors. The massive bed is wrapped in red silk and covered with more pillows than any one person could know what to do with. A separate room houses a bathtub large enough for two, carved entirely out of ivory. Both rooms have lit candles and some type of incense burning that gives off the scent of a floral garden. Given the name of the inn I’d say these rooms are meant to lull guests into a false sense of security and comfort so you cannot foresee the impending doom that may be lurking behind you. It is a good thing I sleep outdoors.

“I am not an assassin, Jun!” Leaia says angrily.

“He’s not asking you to be,” Magnus says in Jun’s defense.

“It is simple,” Jun says, “I will do what the Guild requests while the rest of you stay here. After that we will have our passage to Densetsu.”

“But you don’t know if what that man said is true,” Leaia argues, “What if the man you are killing is just an innocent that they want out of the way?”

“I have to take that chance,” Jun responds, “We need to get to Densetsu.”

“There has to be another way,” Leaia stands her ground, “This is murder!”

A very slight wave of force resonates throughout the room. It seems to start from Leaia. The pressure is no stronger than if a gust of wind blew passed us, but it is there. Jun and Magnus take note of it too, but seem to dismiss it quickly.

“You kill in battle all the time,” Magnus gets in between Jun and Leaia, “How is this any different?”

“Those killed in battle are fighting of their own will,” I come to Leaia’s aid, “They know death may take them.”

“They are right, Magnus,” Jun says, “It is not the same, however, it is necessary in this case. We do not have time to find another way to Densetsu. We take the path that has been laid out for us. You may not like it, but this is how it is going to be. I’ll not hear any more on the matter.”

With a look of utter disgust, Leaia storms out of the room. Jun’s eyes tell me he regrets what was said, but it falls on him to make the hard decisions…and he did. I do not agree with the course of action that must be taken either, but I understand it. Jun looks at me. “Draccus, will you make sure she’s alright?” he asks.

“I will,” I nod.

I leave Magnus and Jun in the room and follow Leaia’s scent down the hall to another room. The door is open. “Priestess?” I ask from the hall.

“Come in, Draccus,” Leaia answers.

I slowly enter the room to find Leaia kneeling on the ground by the foot of the bed. Her room is laid out very similarly to Jun’s. “I’m sorry to interrupt you in prayer, Priestess,” I apologize.

“No, I was just about to start,” Leaia stands.

“Will you be alright?”

“I don’t have a choice.”

“Hmm…I’m no good at these human…things.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know you are upset by Jun’s decision, but it is not easy for him to make those decisions either. Leaders are not perfect. They make the best decisions based on what is available to them.”

“I know that, Draccus, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“I see.”

“Thank you for your concern. I will be fine in the morning. I just need to get some sleep.”

“Very well, Priestess.”

“Goodnight, Draccus.”

I close the door as I exit the room. That did not go the way I was hoping it would. I am still not very good at relating to humans…especially human women.

As I step out the front doors of the inn I feel those eyes on me again. The feeling is much stronger this time. Is this all in my head? The streets are quiet and empty. Wait…too empty. The stables that housed our mounts are empty. What is going on? I walk across the street to investigate the stables.

Right before I reach the stables I feel two sharp stings in my neck. I grab my neck and pull out two small darts. I taste the darts. Tranquilizers…made from an Orrockian herb. I feel the effects of the toxin, but I shake it off. Suddenly I feel two more stings in my back! Then two more in my leg! I pull out the darts in my leg, but I can’t reach the ones in my back. I draw my sword! “Face me, cowards!” I shout.

The world starts to blur. I mustn’t lose consciousness! I see the buildings come alive. At least eight figures surround me. “Take ’em down,” one of them commands.

These fools underestimate me! Two move in from the front while two more come up on me from behind. I spin like a whirlwind knocking two to the ground with my tail while the other two meet a far worse fate on the end of my blade! “Hit ’em again!” I hear one of the shout.

I feel four more darts penetrate my scales! Everything is fuzzy! I make a blind charge towards the sound of the voice I heard. “Stop ’em-,” the words are cut short as I run him through.

“You’ll not enjoy the victory!” I taunt as he slides off my sword.

I can barely hold my head up…I drop my sword. I hear breathing around me…with everything that I’ve got left I lash out with my claws towards the sound. I caught someone…I can taste the blood in the air…I fear there are still four more surrounding me. “Djaresh!” I growl as the world goes completely dark around me…

I am on a boat. The smell of the ocean is very strong and the world seems to be swaying. I open my eyes to find that I am in a steel cage. From what I can tell I am on the bottom deck of a ship. A few inches of water cover the floor. Mine is not the only cage down here. The entire room is lined with cells and each one has a prisoner. I appear to be the only Orrock. The other prisoners are afraid. I cannot tell if they are afraid of me or their current situation.

My armor and my blade are missing. I begin to search my cell for something I can use when I find that I am not alone. A young human girl, not but ten years of age, is in the cell with me. She is undernourished and caked in dirt. Her brown hair is matted from sweat. She huddles in a back corner, frozen in terror. Sometimes my appearance is a curse in their society. “Do not fear me, child,” I say to the girl, “I will not hurt you.”

My words do not bring her any comfort. Tears well up in her eyes. I do not know what would comfort her so I turn my attention back to the cage. I grab the bars and attempt to break them. My best efforts are not enough. I am weak. I still feel some of the sedative in my system and I have not eaten in a while. I let out a roar of frustration, which doesn’t help in calming my cellmate.

I hear the creak of a wooden door opening. I see light come down the stairs in the center of the room. Footsteps. One of the slavers comes down from an upper deck. He’s bald with tattoos covering his head. He has the build of a hard working sailor, but he’s dressed like a common criminal. His stink is worse than that of a pig. He carries a leather whip in his left hand. He wipes the sweat from his brow as he approaches my cell. “Well, well, look who’s awake, ey,” the slaver chuckles, “You were an ’ard catch, but well worf da price I’d say. Don’t worry, beasty, I’m not completely unkind. I left a little snack for ya. Not much meat on ’er, but we can’t ‘ave you starvin’ to deaf now can we?”

His arrogance is his weakness. He has gotten too close to the cage. If he had keys on him this would make my escape easy, but since he doesn’t I can only scare him a bit. I look at the girl. “Cover your ears, child,” I say softly.

The child does as I ask. “’Ey, what’s all da whisperin’ about?!” the slaver nudges me with the whip.

I quickly turn and grab the slaver through the cage bars! I pull him close to where his eyes are practically touching my teeth. “No harm will come to this child! If you or any one else tries to come in here for her I will peel the flesh from your bodies and leave you to die very, very slowly! Do you understand me?!”

“Yeah, yeah, no ’arm to da girl!” the slaver squirms, “I got it, I got it!”

“Good. And if you want my cooperation for the remainder of this trip you will bring these people some food right now!”

“Food, got it!”

I release my grip on the slaver. He runs up the stairs so quickly you’d think his backside were on fire. I look around the room. The other prisoners are in stunned silence. “I will get us out of here,” I try to comfort them, “Just stay quiet for now. Don’t give them any reason to hurt you.”

I feel a small hand touch my shoulder. I turn to find the little girl standing behind me. She shies away when I first turn, but she pushes her fear aside and looks me in the eyes. “Thank you, sir,” she says in a tiny voice.

“Speak up, child. Never show your fear on the outside. Besides, you have no reason to fear me. My name is Draccus.”

“I’m Emily…Emily Talbot.”

“Where are your parents, Emily?”

“At home I think. I was fetching water from the well when they grabbed me.”

“Where is home?”

“Windfall.”

She has been missing at least a couple of weeks if not more. “How long have I been on board?”

“You were brought in last night when the ship stopped.”

So I haven’t even been missing a whole day. The others would’ve noticed first thing in the morning. Hopefully there was some evidence left over from the fight. If anyone can track these slavers down it’s Jun, Leaia, and Magnus. “Emily, do you know where they are taking us?”

“No. They don’t talk to us. They only beat us. I wanna go home!” Emily starts to cry.

“Don’t cry, little one,” I wipe the tears from her face, “I will get you home. I…I promise.”

“I miss my parents.”

“I know, Emily. I miss my family also.”

“Will you go home too?”

“I can’t.”

Suddenly Emily seems to forget her own troubles. “Why not?”

“I am not allowed.”

“Well, why?”

I am afraid the plot is far too complicated to explain to this child. My elder brother, Kadus, was always jealous of me. I was the better hunter, the better warrior, the better son. When our father chose me to be the successor of the family line, Kadus was furious. He got a hold of my blade and killed our father with it. There was no investigation. No trial. I was blamed. I was banished. Sent to Athusia to live out my last cycle of life. My name will be forgotten and Kadus will be our father’s successor. Everything that was mine will now be his.

“I was betrayed by someone close to me and now everyone thinks I am a criminal so I can’t go home.”

“But you’re nice!” Emily smiles up at me.

I feel a warmth inside my chest from Emily’s words. It is a sensation I’m not familiar with. What is this? How can this human girl have such an affect on my hardened warrior heart? I fear I am becoming more human with each passing day amongst them.

“I am not nice, Emily.”

“Yes you are! You’re like a knight protecting the weak. I want to be a knight!”

The innocence of youth is so endearing. “You need training to be a knight.”

“I know and I’m too young.”

“You are never too young to start training. Would you like me to train you?”

“Will you?!”

“Yes. Now, what is a knight’s assistant called?”

“A…squire!”

“Alright, you can be my squire while I train you. And your first lesson was what?”

“Uh…never show my fear?”

“Exactly.”

I do not yet know how I am going to get us out of this, but I vow that I will get this girl back to her family and I will see these people set free.